that does it for this edition of "360." thanks for watching. "early start" begins right now. suddenly rich. so far we know of two winning tickets for the record breaking powerball jackpot. >> lunch date for mitt romney, going to the white house to meet with president obama. >> making a run for it, a zebra and a pony. those are real pictures. welcome to "early start." this was sent to us yesterday. they said this is a serious and

true story. i said no way. it is. john berman is hosting "starting point" at 7:00, it's now 5:00 a.m. in the east. first 33 days until we reach the fiscal cliff and things are heating up on capitol hill. tim geithner, the chief fiscal cliff negotiator will meet with congressional leaders in an effort to get talks moving. there's no time to waste because there may be 33 days to get a deal done, but congress breaks for the holiday. that happens in just 15 days. white house correspondent dan lothian is live from washington this morning. dan, that clock is ticking louder and louder what is the very latest? i hear there are one-on-one meetings happening today. >> that's right. these are the president himself not sitting down and talking with lawmakers, but timothy geithner will be on capitol hill and other senior level members of the administration trying to hammer something out here. this is a complicated process. so far it does not appear the

two sides have gotten closer. that's why you see the president pushing hard, first of all through social media, trying to get americans out there to pass the message along, put pressure on lawmakers to get this middle class tax cut extension down. the president sitting down with small business owners, with ceos of major companies, pushing that middle class tax cut message. they don't believe that this is the comprehensive solution, but they believe this is a step towards the final solution, a final agreement to prevent this fiscal cliff scenario. the president saying he believes that this can get done before christmas. take a listen. >> a clear majority of americans, not just democrats, but also a lot of republicans and a lot of independents glee that we should have a balanced approach to deficit reduction that doesn't hurt the economy

and doesn't hurt middle class families. if we agree that we should not raise taxes on middle class families, let's begin our work with where we agree. >> of course there are some lawmakers who are not that optimistic. they don't think there's enough time between now and the end of the year to get a deal done. nonetheless the president will continue pushing his message. he heads to pennsylvania tomorrow. he will go to a manufacturing plant where he will continue talking about extending the middle class tax cuts, not extending them for the upper class americans. in the meantime, there's pushback from republicans who are saying the president should not be out the road campaigning but back here in washington negotiating. >> dan, i will ask you to look into your crystal ball. president obama is meeting with mitt romney later today. do you have any idea what they plan to discuss? >> you know, there's a lot of speculation about governor romney playing a role in the administration. but the president himself, during his victory speech after

he was re-elected talked about wanting to sit down with mitt romney to talk about ways of moving the country forward. during his post re-election news conference, the president was asked about what roles he could play or if -- what the president hoped to gain from him. the president talked about how mitt romney did a good job with the olympics, and he thought in turning around the olympics, some of that could be used to streamline government and make it more user friendly. that's what we expect for the president to be discussing with mitt romney when they sit down today for lunch at the white house. of course everyone is speculating about some possible role he could play in this white house. it's interesting because it's a very high-profile bipartisan showing from the president today at a time -- >> the timing. >> yes. when he's trying to work with republicans to get something done on the fiscal cliff. >> dan lothian, thank you. two lucky ticket holders

beat the odds and they will split the record $588 million powerball jackpot. one ticket was sold in arizona. the other many missouri. the winning numbers are 5, 16, 22, 23, 29, and the powerball is 6. victor blackwell is in atlanta. one person on facebook yesterday said to me it's better to burn the ticket, at least you get heat from it. for two people at least it's good they didn't burn it. >> it's 29 degrees out here, i wish i had the ticket i bought so i could get some heat. this morning i rolled over to determine if i was in the city where at least the winning ticket was sold. i found out i wasn't. million also have that moment this morning. so many people put their $2 down on the counter to win the largest powerball jackpot ever

at $588 million. the second largest lottery jackpot, that was 656 million last march. this is happening because powerball made a move at the beginning of this year, increasing the ticket price from $1 to $2, which doubled the starting jackpot from 20 million to 40 million, and then the top winning jackpot average from 141 to $255 million. i got to tell you why i'm in mapleton, georgia, this is one of the busiest locations in the state of georgia for buying powerball tickets. why? there's a sign on the front window that tells you. in 2010 they sold a winning ticket worth $116 million. a lot of people thought this would be a lucky location. >> more than a half billion dollars. what's the cash pay out then? >> cash pay out is about $385 million. and a lot of people were chasing that. we know at the peak, 133,000

powerball tickets were sold aper minute across the 42 powerball states. for the people who did not win the jackpot, there are about 8.9 million winners of smaller prizes ranging from $4 to $1 million. so, a lot of people spilling this morning. >> so 385 million before taxes. after you take taxes out, quite a bit less. you know, if we went over the fiscal cliff, tack taxes would much higher next year on that winning. our crew here, we won a grand total of $4. we'll let it ride. thank you. thank you, everyone. >> and you are splitting that between how many people? >> between 41 people. that's why we'll let it ride. >> yeah. thank you very much. >> he was smart. he bought his own ticket. susan rice is still struggling to find support among her many republican critics.

the u.s. ambassador making a second visit to capitol hill yesterday, insisting her comments in the aftermath of the bengahzi consulate attacks were based on intelligence reports. and they were not intended to mislead the american people. but susan collins saying that is a tough sell. >> i continue to be troubled by the fact that the u.n. ambassador decided to play what was essentially a political role at the height of a contentious presidential election. >> rice is considered a leading candidate to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state. senator collins said she would need additional information before she could support her nomination. egypt rushing a vote on a final draft of a constitution as protests continue against the president, mohammed morsy.

he has faced bitter criticism. the state of texas has filed papers to seize a large ranch owned by the flds, a fundamentalist radical mormon sex that believes in polygamy. its leader, warren jeffs, is serving a life sentence. you never know what you might see on the streets of new york city this is a first. casper the pony and razzie the zebra roaming free on staten island. they got free from the home where they lived. they were returned home safe and sound. >> can you imagine mommy, mommy, look. >> they are getting along just fine. >> moment of kindness captured with a camera. coming up, a young police officer's deed goes viral for all the right reasons.od

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welcome back to "early start." an important vote is expected this afternoon in the united nations general assembly. palestine palestinians are asking to be upgraded to nonmember state. if it passes it is a u.n. recognition of palestine statehood. mahmoud abass is in new york to witness the vote. the united states, israel and other western countries oppose this move by the palestines. palestinians. more than a dozen european countries are supporting this rez lug. the uk says it may vote yes pending a couple of conditions. the u.s. has supported a two-state resolution for

palestinians and israelis. why do american officials oppose u.n. recognition? >> for the most part it won't give the palestinians what they want, which is an actual state. this vote is largely symbolic. it would have no effect on the palestinian sovereignty or borders or any of the things they're looking for. israel is vehemently opposed to this vote. it said it threatened to cut off aid to the palestinians, impose new checkpoints if they do so. what the u.s. is fearing here is that if this vote goes ahead, and we see that it's pretty much a guarantee that it will -- that the palestinians will be upgraded at the u.n., basically it's not going to lead to anything good on the ground. what the u.s. is afraid of is that it will lead to more violence if the palestinians don't see their state actually realized. and there are more economic measures from israel. really afraid that it will destabilize the region. >> who is weighing in on this? do we know anything from

secretary of state hillary clinton perhaps? >> secretary of state clinton yesterday was asked about this from reporters. she was in israel last week. and she met with president abbas. let's listen so what she said about u.s. objections to the vote today. >> we have made very clear to the palestinian leadership, you know i met with president mahmoud abbas last week, that we oppose palestinian efforts to upgrade their status at the u.n. outside of the framework of negotiations to achieve a two-state solution. >> so the u.s. is not supporting it. has been really rallying its supporters in europe trying to get president abbas to abandon this. no luck. >> the former israeli prime e d minister says it lays the

foundation for a two-state solution. is there any fear that once the palestinian get the recognition, they will not go back to the peace negotiations? >> president abbas has promised to seek immediate peace negotiations with israel. but others fear that this vote could give palestinians access to the international criminal court where they could go after israel for war crimes. because this vote is so antagonistic to israel, it's not going to lead to negotiations, and what the u.s. and israel are afraid of is that president abbas won't go back to the table because israel is so opposed, and he'll seek these other u.n. measures. that would exacerbate the crisis. >> all right. thank you. >> it's about 17 minutes after the hour. let's get you caught up on the top stories.

mitt romney is on his way to the white house for lunch with the president. it's not clear if they will be discussing the fiscal cliff or a possible role for romney in the obama administration or if they're just having lunch. tim geithner also entering the fray, the chief fiscal cliff negotiator will meet with congressional leaders today in an attempt to get talks moving. this alabama teen alleged by beaten by her girl friend's brother insists it didn't happen because she is day. they say the real story will come out when the time is right, for now that's all they're saying. the family is saying it is a hate crime and they want 18-year-old travis hawkins second degree charges upgraded to murder. a texas man is in custody for allegedly making terrorist threats against a san antonio mosque. a witness tells police that 42-year-old christopher bane intended to go to the islamic academy of san antonio and shoot

as many people as he could and then kill himself. he was arestrested without incit on tuesday. we are looking at two manatee calves getting much tlc. the newborn was found hungry and all alone over the summer. and then there's pilgrim, rehabbing after being hit by a boat. he broke a rib, which then tore a lung. keepers say he will be released back into the wild when his ribs heal. >> four, three, two, one -- >> the holiday season is officially underway in new york city. the lighting of the rockefeller center christmas tree, an 80-foot norway spruce that made it through superstorm sandy. 30,000 lights later t is serving as a powerful symbol.

time for your early reads, your local news making national headlines. the "new york times" reporting on a city cop who is now an internet hero. that is officer lawrence petrino leaning down to put a new pair of boots on a homeless man. the officer purchased them at a nearby shoe store after he realized the homeless man was barefoot and blistered. a passerby took the photo and mailed it to the new york police department who posted it on its facebook. the officer says he keeps the receipt for the boots in his vest to remind himself that sometimes other people have it worse than he does. >> i would like to meet that man. incredible. in michigan there is no place for sexy at school.

that's the reason why high school principal joe lynn clark gives for taking on teens in tights. earlier this month she sent a message to teens and their parents saying leggings are not pants and could violate dress codes. she also asked girls to think what about your message is and what message your clothes are sending. >> i'm so confused by that story. >> i am, too. to look at all of our top stories go to our blog and see more about that story. >> it's really cold in michigan, i would be wearing leggings. i guess the skirts are real short or maybe they're just wearing leggings. financial markets all over the world are reacting to the words of one single man. what john boehner said that had so much of an impact. that's coming up.

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the president and others yesterday for those fiscal cliff talks. listen to what he told wolf blitzer when asked if taxes should be raised on those making more than $250,000 a year. if that's what it takes to make the math work when you look at entitlement side and revenue side, i wouldn't preclude that. of course we would have to do that if the numbers drive that way. >> he said america can't afford itself right now the way we're going. fiscal cliff talks today continue with geithner making the rounds on capitol hill. later this morning, third quarter gdp expected to be revised higher. economists expect gdp for july to september to be revised from 2% to 2.8%. that would be good news. this is still modest growth. everyone hopes that next year will be a better year than this one in terms of growth. you want to see more than 2.5%

growth consistently. >> i will say amen to that. if at first you don't succeed, coming up, south korea trying to launch another rocket. find out how it went this time. and if you are leaving the house now, watch us any time on your desk top or your mobile phone, just go to cnn.com/tv. a , try running four. fortunately we've got ink. it gives us 5x the rewards on our internet, phone charges and cable, plus at office supply stores. rewards we put right back into our business. this is the only thing we've ever wanted to do and ink helps us do it. make your mark with ink from chase.

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the president's point man, treasury secretary tim geithner sent to start fiscal cliff talks today. mitt romney headed to the white house today for a sitdown with the commander in chief. and the winning ticket, we

know where two powerball jackpot winners were sold. who are you this morning? welcome back to "early start." we are happy you're with us. i'm zoraida sambolin. >> we're not the winners. i'm christine romans. it's about half past the hour. there are about 33 days until the fiscal cliff, while politicians try to sell their plans, the first negotiations get underway today with tim geithner heading to capitol hill with separate meetings for congressional leaders. both the president and speaker boehner made optimistic predictions yesterday. >> my hope is to get this done before christmas. i'll go anywhere, i'll do whatever it takes to get this done. it's too important for washington to screw this up. >> i'm optimistic that we can continue to work together to avert this crisis and sooner rather than later. >> all right. a couple of optimists, but what will both sides give and what will it cost those politicians?

erick erickson is of redstate.com. good morning. >> good morning. >> all right. so, congressman tom cole was on "ac 360" last night. he got criticism for saying he would accept compromise. here's what he said. >> i want to make all of them permanent, quite frankly. this is a debate about political tactics, not a difference over political theology. in the end, all republicans want to make sure we don't increase taxes. that's where we differ with the democrats. if we can get 98% of the tax cuts for the american people made permanent, we should do that, and then fight for the rest. >> speaker boehner says he disagreed with congressman cole, is this a debate about political tactics at this point? >> to a degree it is. i understand what congressman cole is saying, but at the same time it's foolish for anybody

out there to think congress will be able to come to some sort of resolution. congress designed the fiscal cliff. i think probably senator thune from south dakota is making the most sense last night saying maybe we should kick the can down the road for six months instead of trying to rush it i'm not a fan of kicking the can down the road, that's what congress does. in this case, you have everyone scrambling, trying to examine the ramifications of the election. you have new people coming in. some of the people voting were thrown out of congress. why not wait until the 1st of the year. >> kicking the can, you look at markets today. you have global markets up. stock futures are up. the stock market was up yesterday because this whole idea of optimism from john boehner and the president that this could get done by the end of the year is something the world wants to see. you look at our polling. our polling shows, and the most recent poll from abc news/"washington post," 60% of people support raising tacks on

incomes over $250,000 per year. isn't the argument of kicking the can down the road losing some steam? >> it probably is. i don't think we need to rely on polling on this because if raising taxes on the top earners of the country would raise enough money to fund the government for eight days. i'm not in favor of congress doing something symbolic. on the campaign trail, the president said this is about fair share, not really about balancing the budget. it won't make a dent in the deficit. congress designed this. they don't want to cut spending. they just want to raise taxes. if congress wanted to go back to the clinton tax rates, i would do it in a heart rate if they went back to the clinton spending rates. >> you're right, it has to be a balanced approach, the balance also includes spending cuts. some democrats say entitlements should be on the table but deal

with long-term reform afterwards. here's what dick durbin said yesterday on "starting point." >> entitlements need to be part of a long-term strategy but do it in a thoughtful way. we're down to four weeks here. i don't want to see major changes being decided in the heat of the moment here. let's get through the fiscal cliff, avert it, but at the enof the day take medicare and treat is as an important issue. >> at the end of the day, how many things will be kicked down the road like entitlements? >> we had 18 debt an deficit commissions since ronald reagan became president in 1981. in more than half of those, medicaid, medicare an social security were supposed to be part of fixing the debt and deficit, it never happened. if they kick the can down the road again without fixing entitlements in the process, entitlements still won't get

fixed. >> we asked you to comment on the news and then sometimes you make news. the news about you, it says you are considering running in a primary to challenge saxby chambliss. are you any closer to a season? tell me what you're thinking and who is encouraging you to do that. >> well, you know, i said all along, no i'm not going to do this. i've been dismissive. in the past couple days, a number more prominent names have been calling and saying shy do it. i feel i owe them more consideration. i'm not closer to thinking i will do it, but i'm thinking about it more. my wife is adamant if i do it, i will be buried in the backyard before i announce. i think saxby chambliss, it's time for him to be primaried. >> your wife will bury you in the backyard, that's a picture. thank you so much.

his wife knows how to speak her mind. that's a good reason not to do it. south korea's fourth attempt to put a satellite in orbit has been scrubbed. the launch called off because of an electronic problems. the south koreans have been trying to develop a civil can space program since 2002. >> check your powerball tickets if you live in arizona and missouri. two tickets, one bought in each state, so they will split the $580 million. the jackpot didn't pay off but the wacky radio stunt might have. the morning show at 95 rock, a radio station in wisconsin, posted their lotto ticket on their facebook page and offered to share the ticket with everyone on the facebook page,

the page was shared about 54,000 times. brilliant. >> they didn't win. >> but they got more face time. from opponents on the campaign trail to diners at the white house. mitt romney and barack obama together at last. the question is why? what will they talk about? what will they eat? a live report from washington coming up. . at unitedhealthcare insurance company, we understand that commitment. so does aarp, serving americans 50 and over for generations. so it's no surprise millions have chosen an aarp dicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. to find out more, call today.

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white house. >> is mitt romney coming here tomorrow for some kind of role in the cabinet position? >> no. >> dan lothian is live for us in washington this morning. dan, nice to see you. >> good to see you. >> what are you hearing about the purpose of this meeting? >> you know, the president himself had said he wasn't suggesting by this invitation to have mitt romney come here that this was an audition, if you will, for some owe kind of assignment. the president said there are ideas that mitt romney had out there on the campaign trail that are good ideas and not partisan ideas. the president wanted to sit down and talk to him about that, talk to him specifically about ways of creating jobs, of building the economy. he said that, you know there were good things that mitt romney had out there on the campaign trail. that's what they'll be talking about. in addition, the president said specifically that mitt romney did a good job working with the olympics, turning the olympics around. he thought some of that could

translate to the government and make government more efficient, more customer friendly. so it's a combination of those things that the president will be talking about during that lunch here at the white house today. this is also part of this prom piece that the president made during his victory speech that he would invited him to the white house and talk about waste and move the country forward. a lot of speculation about whether or not mitt romney could play a role in the white house. again, the white house pushing back on thachlthat. but it is interesting because it is a high-profile invitation, bipartisan invitation when the president is wrangling with lawmakers on the hill. >> that timing is interesting. they also had such a contentious battle for the white house. you find this kind of interesting. >> but that's all forgiven. >> really? all right. i'll go with that. switching gears here, talking about susan collins, she joined the chorus of republicans

voicing reservation, a senator, considered a moderate, joining the voice of the republicans about a possible secretary state nomination for u.n. ambassador susan rice in her statement, she voiced support for john kerry as an alternative. listen to what she said. >> i think john kerry would be an excellent appointment and easily confirmed by his colleagues. >> interesting. how much self-interest is at play here? if kerry were to get that job, republicans could pick up his senate seat, right? >> that is correct. remember, scott brown picked up the kennedy seat in massachusetts and he lost it to elizabeth warren in the last election. so there is that scenario that if john kerry were to get that post, then that opens it up again for scott brown to pick up that seat. a couple of things. first of all, it's widely known out there that john kerry wants the job. but, of course, you know, the story we've all been talking about that susan rice appears to

be above on that list. that's the first thing. all of this speculation about who could get that job and, you know, if he got that job then this person could pick up the seat in massachusetts, it really is all just sort of hypothetical here. the president has not put forward a nomination yet. there's a lot of wrangling going on. democrats are saying republicans are playing politics here. at the end of the day, it's all hypothetical until the president puts a nomination on. >> it's interesting to watch and chat about. dan lothian, thank you. >> okay. it's a black friday hangover for a major retailer and a black eye. coming up, the complaints, a slew of complaints in the wake of a holiday sales frenzy. we'll tell you where it happened. if you're leaving your house, watch us on your desk top or mobile phone just go to cnn.com/tv. plus a 50% annual bonus.

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welcome back. let's get you up to date on the top stories. president obama and mitt romney are having a private lunch at the white house today. it suspected they will be sharing ideas about the fiscal cliff and growing speculation there may be a role for romney in the obama administration. if you played powerball in arizona and missouri, you could be filthy rich. two tickets, one in each state,

matched all six numbers. the holders will split a record $588 million. >> how long do you think before they come forward? >> i don't know. i would wait personally. >> a couple weeks, yep. new york city nanny accused of murdering two children in her care has pleaded not guilty to those crimes. the killings of the children last month sent shockwaves throughout a city where many working parents rely on nannies to watch their kids. it sent shockwaves across the nation. yet's hearing took place in a hospital where the nanny is being treated for self-inflicted stab wounds. seattle police released dash cam video of a suspect allegedly beaten by officers during his arrest. he was held down on the back on the hood of a car. his attorney says excessive

force was used. the retail chain has been offering incentives like retail plans, but toys "r" us is being said items are not being filled and hundreds of items are out of stock. while you're hitting the gym, the dude in skinny jeans is stealing your girl. a new report says women prefer thin men over macho girls. the theory is bigger, stronger guys who are extra fit are making up for weaker immune systems, and women who have men with a stronger immunity are a better mate. >> where did the women come from that they were studying? >> you don't like skinny men? the threat of flooding still plagues the west coast this

morning. meteorologist rob marciano, i can't even say your name, you foe why? haven't seen you in a while. >> never fight with evolution, if that's what the study says, that's what it says. i've been caught in the middle. 71 miles per hour in redding, these are the numbers from yesterday. one of several storms that will blast away at the entire west coast from san francisco up through seattle. 67-mile-per-hour gust in high glade. duncan peak seeing 64-mile-per-hour wind gusts. here is the satellite picture. this is the infrared, water vapor imagery which shows you where the biggest punch of moisture is about to get slammed again in portland and seattle. this is not moving much. it will be here for several more days. because of that, we have many concerns. one of which is a storm warning out for the oregon coastline,

gale warnings out for 50 miles per hour and winds certainly will be higher than that. that can cause damage and power outages. snow levels will be high, but at the highest peaks 10 to 20 inches of snow the greatest threat is the amount of rain, 8 to 10 inches or more over the next five days, and that will cause some flooding and maybed so mud slides. east of the rockies, looking good. chilly, mostly quiet. showers around the great lakes, but feels like it should for the end of november. >> thank you very much. a packed hour ahead on "early start," including mitt romney on his way to the white house, but he won't be measuring curtains. details of his lunch date with the president, what it could mean for his future, your future, your money and hopes of a compromise in washington. and yoko ono, if you like her music, you will love her

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all right. welcome back. looking at the top cnn trends this morning. i do want the fritos, the bugles or the caviar? >> there's a vending machine that offers caviar. only in l.a. l.a. land. >> reporter: at this los angeles area shopping mall next to the holiday displays and the santa's

corner kiosk -- what the flurries are look at is the world's first vending machine selling caviar. >> seems like you can buy anything out of a machine anymore. >> not just any caviar, there's the garden variety $12 types, or the $500 an ounce boluga. $50,000 worth of rare merchandise inside three vening machines in southern california. making their debut just in time for the holiday shopping season. the idea came from the cupcake vending machine, already a hit in beverly hills. caviar can be just as sweet says the vending machine's owner. is it about making it accessible to people? >> very accessible, convenient, at every price point. >> reporter: so it is caviar out of a vending machine in a

shopping mall, but some say this just doesn't belong. >> reporter: owner david lenz says his caviar is served with more flair at his restaurant, not food court fudge. >> that's the part i don't get. i can see getting it, taking it home to have some champagne with it just on your lunch break? it doesn't add up. with a soda from the food court? >> exactly. >> reporter: we found plenty of caviar critics. >> would you put $500 in a machine? >> no. >> would you buy eggs out of a vending machine? much less fish eggs. >> reporter: but the flurries are buying for their daughter this christmas. a little luxury for the layman, conveniently dispensed just in time for the holidays. nothing too fishy about it. kyung lah, cnn, burbank, california. aspiring to be the 1% in a shopping mall. >> 500 bucks? i wonder which one she tasted. once bitter rivals doing lunch. the prospect of president obama

and mitt romney playing nice after such a long, contentious political battle made for some juicy conversation. >> late-night hosts feasted on the news. check it out. >> mitt romney is going to meet president obama at the white house tomorrow. they're going to get together and talk things out. yeah. after three weeks of dealing with the bengahzi scandal and the fiscal cliff, obama is prepared to offer romney in the administration, president of the united states. he's like, i made a mistake. it's all yours. >> they're eating at the white house. here is how the lunch will go. mitt, this could have been your private dining room. these could have been your presidential knives and forks. but here's what i don't get, for the last eight months mitt romney has been saying nobody should get a free lunch. now he's going to the white house to have a free lunch. >> it's part of president obama's plan to cut fiscal

spending, invite someone for lunch and have us pick up the tab. >> we're all picking up the tab for that lunch. >> that's right. "early start" continues right now. >> suddenly rich. so far we know of two winning tickets for the record-breaking powerball jackpot. >> lunch date, mitt romney meeting with president obama. >> and only in new york. a zebra hot on the heels of a pony in new york city. >> never thought about hot on the heels of a pony. okay. >> i'm christine romans. >> i'm zoraida sambolin. >> in egypt the u.s. embassy in cairo is closed. no one is being allowed in or out of the embassy now. embassy officials say the entrance is blocked by

protesters as clashes erupt nearby. massive demonstrations against president morsy threatened the new young government after a degree last week extending his powers to an e uneasy level for some egyptians. americans in cairo going to the embassy for business, please don't. no one is going in or out of the embassy in cairo. >> and finding a way to steer clear of the fiscal cliff. the chief fiscal cliff negotiator tim geithner working with leaders to get things moving. there are just 33 days left to get a deal done. congress breaks for the holidays in just 15 days. dan lothian joins us. so the clock is ticking away. >> after the meeting the

president had after he went to southeast asia the lawmakers were optimistic. now you are hearing some pessimistic as the clock winds down. you see the president pushing the bush era tax cut extension for middle class america. the white house doesn't believe this is the comprehensive solution, but part of a solution. they are reaching out to small business owners, sitting down with top ceos yesterday. he will head to pennsylvania tomorrow. you saw him at the white house with middle class america who e-mailed the white house about how they would be impacted if the middle class tax cuts were not extended for them. the president sounding optimistic that the deal can get done. >> our ultimate goal is an agreement that gets our long-term deficit under control in a way that's fair and balanced. that kind of agreement would be good for our businesses, good

for our economy. it would be good for our children's future. i believe both parties can agree on a framework that does that in the coming weeks. in fact, my hope is to get this done before christmas. >> americans are divided a as to what the solution should be to reach some sort of agreement on the fiscal cliff. look at this abc news/washington post survey that says 60% of americans support raising taxes on the wealthy. 37% oppose it. what about reducing deductions? 44% support it. 49% oppose it. americans, much like lawmakers, want a solution to the problem but clearly divided on how to get there. >> the consensus is there to solve it. the question is how. president obama is meeting with mitt romney today. >> big news.

>> do you have any idea what they plan to discuss? >> they are having lunch at the white house this afternoon. the president talked about this after his re-election. he said he wanted to sit down with mitt romney, talk about ways to move the country forward. but the president pointed out mitt romney did a good job turning the olympics around. he thought it could work in the government. streamline agencies to make it more user-friendly. the president will talk with him about that. the president pointed out that out there on the call pain trail mitt romney had good things to say about job creation, turning the economy around. they will discuss those things. >> the rumors of a potential cabinet position romney surrogates said no way would he accept a position. there is still talk about it. >> a lot of speculation. the president was saying when asked about this, that his post

election press conference said he's not suggesting there is any specific assignment he has for mitt romney. that doesn't stop the rumor mill that maybe the president will tap him for something. >> dan, thank you. now back to cairo, egypt. the u.s. embassy is closed now. the entrance is block bid protesters as clashes erupt nearby. we want to get to reza saya in cairo. what can you tell us about what's happening now? >> reporter: a short time ago the u.s. embassy released a statement that the embassy will be shut down until further notice because some of the clashes are getting to close for comfort. in their statement they said specifically there is no indication that the embassy is a target of the protests, but the embassy's proximity to tahrir square which is a couple of blocks away, exposes it to the violence. just as a precautious they have

shut down until further notice. during the past few days during the demonstrations on the side streets, the arteries leading into tahrir square we have seen clashes between protesters and police. most of the clashes are being triggered by trouble-making elements. these are teenagers, young men, 20-somethings who continue to throw rocks, debris, molotov cocktails at police and police respond by firing teargas, stun grenades. that's what we have seen. a little bit more intense. it's approaching the embassy which is not a target, as the statement said. again, just as a precautious they are shutting down. >> i know this weekend the embassy is urging americans to stay away from garden city this weekend. the muslim brotherhood is broadcasting they would like to have a million myanmar. this weekend. so we could see gathering

people. this is sort of something to look into into the weekend. >> reporter: the stage is set for more tension in the coming days, especially on saturday. the muslim brotherhood has called for demonstration in support of the president in tahrir square which is where we have seen anti-mar s mama mamos camping out. the stage is set for more conflict, more turmoil. that's why the embassy is telling people to keep away until things calm down. >> people reminded to remain alert to their surroundings at all times. thank you very much. >> let's stay in egypt. egypt is rushing a vote on a final draft of a new constitution as protests continue against president morsy. former assembly members have called this morning's vote

treasonous. morrissey faced bitter criticism since deciding to grant himself powers beyond the chex and balances of the courts. >> if susan rice is voted to be secretary of state she's not likely to find much support. she made a second visit to capitol hill yesterday. once again claiming her comments in the aftermath of the benghazi consulate attack were based on intelligence reports and with respect designed to mislead the american people. but susan collins is not convinced. >> i continue to be troubled by the fact that the u.n. ambassador decided to play what was essentially a political role at the height of a contentious presidential election. >> rice is considered a leading candidate to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state. senator collins says she'll need

additional information before she can support the rice nomination. >> two ticket holders beat the astronomical odds. they will split the massive record breaking $588 million dollar jackpot. is it you? one was sold in arizona and the other in missouri. if you have not checked the winning numbers are 5, 16, 22, 23, 29 and a powerball of 6. victor blockwell is in mapleton, georgia, just outside of atlanta. didn't i say missouri and arizona? what are you doing there? >> well, i didn't win apparently. i put a few into the pool and we didn't even get $4 for hitting one number. i shouldn't be surprised. the odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 175 million. you have a better chance of

walking up to a random woman in america and guessing her name correctly. as someone who's walked township a stranger and tried to guess the name as part of a lame pick-up line it's tough to do. you're always wrong. but you can't blame someone for at least trying to win the powerball jackpot. it was the largest and the second largest in history. that was $656 million in march. at the peak there were hundreds of thousands of tickets sold across the 42 powerball states. why did the jackpot get so large? in this specific case there was no winner for 16 draws. two months it rolled over and over. we know this was part of a strategy from powerball to increase the ticket price to $2 from a single dollar. the larger jackpots could happen more often throughout the year. >> what's the bik cash payout?

that's what christine romans is suggesting the winners take is the cash payout. >> reporter: it's $385 million. of course that will be split two ways between the winners in arizona and missouri. not everyone won big. 8.9 million people won smaller prizes ranging from $4 to $1 million. >> victor, we did better. our pool won $4. we'll share with you. >> reporter: yes. split a coffee 16 ways. >> we appreciate that. >> the winners need to take the money this year. they could pay higher tax years if tax rates go up next year. >> always good financial advice. 11 minutes past the hour here. a moment of kindness captured with a camera. don't miss it, folks. a young police officer's deed goes viral for all the right reasons. we can't wait to share the story with you. there've been some goo.

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get selsun blue for itchy dry scalp. strong itch-fighters target scalp itch while 5 moisturizers leave hair healthy. selsun blue. got a clue? get the blue. welcome back. 14 minutes past the hour. today promises to be an important day at the united nations for the palestinians. they are asking the general assembly to approve a resolution to upgrade their status from permanent observer to what's called a nonmember state. mahmoud abbas will witness the vote scheduled for this afternoon. if approved as it is expected to be, it will be implicit u.n. recognition of palestinian statehood. the united states and israel are opposed to this resolution. lisa joins us to explain what this all means. i will add in lay terms here --

and good morning. >> good morning. >> more than a dozen european countries support this resolution. uk says it may vote yes pending conditions they have. the u.s. has supported a two-state solution for israelis and palestinians. why do american officials oppose u.n. recognition? >> well, first and foremost the u.s. knows it isn't going to give the palestinians what they want which is a state. this vote is largely symbolic. it will have no effect on the palestinian sovereignty, borders. secretary of state clinton was in the region last week. she met with president abbas and tried to pressure him. let's listen to what she told reporters yesterday. >> no matter what happens at the united nations, it will not produce the outcome that this government, this president and certainly i strongly support. the only way to get a lasting solution is to commence direct

negotiation. >> so israel is opposed to this and threatened sanctions against the palestinian if it goes through, threatening about $100 million a month withholding of palestinian revenue and the u.s. fears could lead to renewed violence between israelis and palestinians to lead them further away from a deal. so much so that the u.s. is threatening to withhold aid to the palestinians if this goes ahead. >> the former israeli prime minister said, quote, it lays the foundation for a two-state solution. is there a reason to believe once palestinians get u.n. recognition that they will not go back to the negotiating table with israel? >> well, that's what president abbas said he'll do after the vote. the palestinians think this would give them leverage in peace talks. if you listen to prime minister benjamin netanyahu he doesn't buy it. he issued a statement that said

israel is prepared to live in peace with the palestinian state but for peace to endure israel's security must be protected, the palestinians must recognize the jewish state and they must be prepared to end the conflict with israel once and for all. none of these vital interests of peace appear in the resolution that will be put before the general assembly today. that's why israel cannot accept it. the only way to achieve peace is through agreements reached by the parties directly through valid negotiations between themselves and not through u.n. resolutions that completely ignore israel's vital interests and national interests. because this is so one-sided it doesn't advance peace. it pushes peace backwards. that doesn't sound like the vote is going to lead to negotiations any time soon which is why, incidentally, president abbas said he's taking this move. because there's been no progress in negotiations for years.

>> thank you for breaking that down for us. we appreciate it. 19 minutes past the hour. let's get caught up on the top stories. mitt romney is headed to the white house for a private lunch with the president this afternoon. nothing official, but they are expected to discuss strategies for dealing with the fiscal cliff. tim ' ner, the chief fiscal cliff negotiator meets today with congressional leaders to get the negotiations moving. while you were sleeping lindsay lohan was arrested -- again. the new york city police department took her in after a fight at a club here in the city. officers say there is a possibility lohan hit a woman. they didn't confirm if she's being charged with anything at this point. >> lindsay lohan, club, 4:00 a.m., new york, bad combination. anything can happen on the streets of new york city including a pony and a zebra running free on staten island. they escaped from the pen in the yard where they live but they were returned to the owner.

>> is the zebra chasing the pony? >> looks like it. >>. the new york times reporting on an officer who's a hero. he's kneeling down to put a new pair of boots on a homeless man. the 25-year-old officer purchased them at a nearby shoe store after noticing that the man was barefoot and was blistering. a woman from arizona snapped this photo with her cell phone camera, mailed it to the new york police department. they posted it on facebook and it went viral. more than 1.6 million views. the officer keeps the receipt to remind himself sometimes other people have it worse than he does. >> what kind of random acts of kindness will you do today? >> that's incredible. >> financial markets all over the world reacting to the words of a single man. what john boehner had that had

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choose ishares for their etfs. ishares by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus which includes investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. read and consider it carefully before investing. risk includes possible loss of principal. good morning to you. welcome back. 24 minutes past the hour. christine is minding our business. >> i am. stock futures are up. world marks are up. commodities are up. all higher after comment prs the president and john boehner expressing optimism on fiscal cliff negotiations in washington. the dow rallied a hundred points off those comments. wall street investors really want to see this fixed.

goldman sachs ceo lloyd blankfine opening the door to raising taxes on the rich. 'hnd others met with the president, leaders of congress yesterday for the fiscal cliff talks. listen to what he told wolf when asked if taxes should go up on families making more than $250,000 a year. >> if that's what it took to make the math work when you look at the entitlement side and the revenue side, i wouldn't preclude that. of course we would have to do that if the numbers drive that way. >> he also said the way we're going now america can't afford itself. fiscal talks continue with treasury secretary geithner making the rounds on capitol hill. third quarter gdp expected to be revised higher today meaning the economy is growing faster than first thought. economists expect gdp for the last blue bar on your chart there to be revised from 2.to

2.8%. that's good news. this is still modest growth except for the last quarter last year. >> even as he sits in prison, polygamist sect leader warren jeffs draws attention from authorities. we have the story coming up for you. i hoose the cash bk deals in my mobile or online banking. i just use my bank of america debit or credit card when i pay. and i get as much as 15% cash back -- puinto maccoun this is top of other rards and discounts i already get. best of all it's free. hay holidays. [ male annncer ] introducinbankamerideals, free for online bking customers. sign in to your online banking to choose your deals today. i'm going to dream about that steak.

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the president's point man, treasury secretary tim geithner, sent to capitol hill for fiscal cliffs talks today. tickets to riches. we have an idea where two of the powerball winners bought tickets. fashion statement, yoko ono may have outdone herself with a new clothing line aimed at -- men. if you love her music, you will love her fashion. >> i saw a preview. interesting. >> welcome back to "early start." >> it's 30 minutes past the hour. >> first happening now in egypt, the u.s. embassy in cairo is

closed. no one will be allowed in or out of the embassy. officials say the entrance is blocked by hundreds of protesters clashing nearby. the clashes aren't threatening. they are not threatening the u.s. embassy in cairo. it is just closed right now. that's what they are telling us. the clashes are coming from massive demonstrations against president morrissey thsy after that extended his powers to an uneasy level for many egyptians. you cannot get in or out of the u.s. embassy in cairo now. >> the fiscal cliff just 3 d3 ds away. yesterday it was announced timothy geithner and rob neighbors will go to capitol hill for meetings. how close are both sides to compromising, reaching a deal. will the u.s. have to face the

cliff head on? the chairman of the republican doctor's caucus joining us. good morning, sir. >> good morning. >> tom cole, the latest republican to signal willingness to cut a deal that cuts taxes for almost all americans but not the richest. here's what he said last night to wolf. >> if we agree that taxes shouldn't go up on 98% of the people shouldn't we take that now and get it set aside, make sure they know their taxes aren't going up. i think they will listen to us, we'll win the argument. putting people at risk when we agree their taxes shouldn't go up, is something in my opinion we shouldn't do. >> do you think congressman cole is wrong? >> tom is my colleague, friend, classmate, a great member. i have less confidence in 2013

that we would be able to oh get those marginal rates back down on the top 2%. those that pay 37% of all taxes. i don't have that confidence. but tom is a very cerebral member. i don't question his judgment. >> you won't break the pledge you made. there are others of your colleagues saying, look, we don't want to appear inflexible. we want the best deal we can get right now. you're going to stick with your pledge. if speaker boehner comes to you with a deal that raises revenue by cutting deductions and loopholes or by raising rates, you won't do it. >> wait a minute. there are three r's here. like reading, writing and arithmetic. we are talking about reforming

the tax code, raisinging tax rates. that's the only thing i say that i absolutely will not do. 258 members of congress, republicans all, have taken the pledge. only six are waffling. we're standing strong on that point. >> do you think that's a pledge with grover norquist, with your constituents? there are others saying they have room around the pledge. >> well, that's a great question you just asked me. is that a pledge to my constituents. absolutely. in 2002 -- and i was running in a tough primary and those folks back in marietta, georgia, said, phil, are you going to take the grover norquist, americans for tax reform pledge. i said, yes, i will take it. many would have voted for my opponent. that plenl, i honor that. it's a pledge to my constituents. absolutely. >> all right. you say your constituents don't want you to raise taxes on the rich. let me show you what an

abc/washington post poll shows. 60% would support raising taxes on incomes over $250,000 per year. you wouldn't do that? >> i understand that their perception. i have constituents that take that position as well. i'm sent to congress to represent 700,000 people in my northwest georgia district. they send me because they trust my judgment. they think i have the facts that maybe in many cases they don't. we know that lowering taxes, keeping taxes low stimulates jobs. jobs stimulates revenue. we're not going to get there. this fiscal cliff you're talking about by raising taxes on the top 2%. what would that do -- fund the government for eight days? we are facing a fiscal grand canyon if we don't reform medicare, medicaid and social security. >> so you talk about raising

taxes. those were temporary tax cuts. those bush tax cuts were extended a couple of times. they were temporary tax cuts. couldn't you live with allowing temporary tax cuts for the richest to go away, keeping them for the middle class and getting the entitlement reform you want. couldn't you live with that? >> christine, you make the point. from a political perspective, the optics of that might look good. maybe the democrats feel they have an advantage politically. but we republicans, we conservative republicans, fiscal conservative republicans, feel that we are right on this, that we can't allow because of politics to waffle or waiver on something we know will get this country back on the right track, will stimulate the economy. the darn stimulus didn't. 850 billion dollars. so we know that lower, broader

reform tax code and more people working, that's what it will take to finally lower the deficit and get this debt down below $16 trillion. can you believe it? >> i know. we'll talk about the debt ceiling soon. thank you, sir. >> thank you very much. >> 36 minutes past the hour. not the way he hoped he would get there, but mitt romney is on his way to the white house today having a private lunch with the president in a show of bipartisanship at a time the two parties are banging heads over the fiscal cliff. there is buzz about a potential role for romney on the obama team but the president's spokesman isn't letting on if he knows. >> is governor romney here tomorrow in some kind of cabinet-level position? some kind of audition? >> no, no. [ laughter ] >> white house correspondent dan lothian is live from washington

this morning. do you know anything more about the lunch? >> the president suggested it wasn't about some particular assignment for mitt romney. but rather a chance for both men to sit down and talk about moving the country forward. you look back. it wasn't long ago that both candidates were going at each other. the president attacking mitt romney for his time at bane capital, for sending jobs overseasment remember the 47%. mitt romney was attacking the policies saying they essentially put the country in reverse. i expect there will be a much different tone today when these men sit down for lunch. the president said there were things mitt romney said on the campaign trail that were not partisan but smart ideas. he wants to talk to him about job creation for the middle class. also thinks mitt romney did a good job with the olympics, turning that around and some of it might be good for the federal government. >> romney, in a private conversation with donors after

the election, blamed his loss in part on the president promising giftses to democratic constituents like minorities and students. i suspect that won't be a topic of conversation today. let's switch gears. senator susan collins joined the group of republicans voicing reservations about a possible secretary of state position for susan rice. she voiced support for democratic senator john kerry as an alternative. let's listen to what she said. >> i think john kerry would be an excellent appointment and would be easily confirmed by his colleagues. >> how much self-interest is at play here if kerry got the job? republicans pick up the senate seat. >> that's right. democrats say in all of this republicans have been playing politics. you're right. there is the scenario where, of course, scott brown who picked

up the kennedy senate seat then lost it in the most recent election to elizabeth warren. the scenario is if john kerry then gives up his seat to become the secretary of state that scott brown then has the possibility of regaining a senate seat. again it's great talk in washington. a lot of peculation. but ultimately we are looking here at a lot of scenarios. the president has not yet made a nomination. we are talking about people on the short list. until the president names someone all these pieces can't come into play. >> lots of speculation before that. nice to see you this morning. >> good to see you. you want to retire rich? check your 401(k) balance and not your powerball ticket. unless you live in arizona or missouri, you didn't win. two tickets matched all six numbers. they will split the jackpot of $588 million. the rest of us have to go back

to saving for retirement. the winning numbers 5, 16, 22, 23, 29 and the powerball number is 6. >> the state of texas has asked a judge for permission to seize a large secluded ranch owned by flds, a mormon sect that believes in polygamy. its leader, warren jeffs, is serving a life sentence in texas for sexually assaulting two underage girls. state officials say dozens of children were molested on the property. she's one of the most unique celebrities of our time. check out the new fashion line for men by yoko ono. the inspiration behind her masterpieces coming up. [ fem] imagine skin so healthy, it never gets dry again. can your moisturizer do that? [ female announcer ] dermatologist recommended aveeno has an oat formula, now proven to build a moisture reserve, so skin can replenish itself. that's healthy skin for life. only from aveeno.

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all right. john is here for soledad this morning. what's on the show? >> we're talking about the one republican in the middle of the fiscal cliff discussions, in the center of the cushions now. john cole says to deal with the 2% later. we'll talk about what it feels like to be in the mid of the fire storm. and the husband and wife team who both lost bids for re-election this year. we'll talk to connie mack and mary bono-mack. plus it's been a best seller for a decade. rick warren out with a new edition of "the purpose driven life." a lot to talk about there. it should be fascinating. nothing more interesting than this. america's top bobsledder who kept a big, big secret.

steve holcomb was going blind. this is the incredible story of how he continued to race and ultimately won olympic gold. wait until you hear the story. >> i'm looking forward to it. >> we have a lot more coming up. stay late and watch. >> hang out in our office. thank you, john. the threat of flooding plagues the west coast. rob marciano has more for us. good morning. >> rain and wind, high elevation snow yesterday, today and the next several days going forward through the weekend. 71 miles per hour wind at redding, california. we'll continue to see the winds pepper california and oregon as well. they are spiralling around. really it's just sitting up here and pieces of moisture will be making their way in to california and oregon as time goes on. 50, 60 miles per hour winds continue to pepper the coastline. in the sierras, higher numbers

than that. eight to ten inches plus in the next five days. 10 to 20 incheses in the mountains. plains to the northeast, snowshowers across the great lakes but a beautiful morning. should be a good-looking day east of the mississippi. enjoy. >> thanks, rob. >> let's get you up to date on the top stories. president obama and mitt romney planning a private lunch at the white house today. it's expected they will talk about the fiscal cliff. there is also a lot of growing speculation there may be a role for romney in the obama administration. >> dozens of new york public schools victimized by looters in the aftermath of super storm sandy. the city reports 30 schools targeted including one in the rockaways and queens where nearly a hundred ipads and i macs were stolen. >> terrible. >> the looting losses rbt covered by insurance. >> clothes as eccentric as her music. yoko ono with a new line from a

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welcome back. 33 days until the fiscal cliff. while politicians try to sell their plans the first big negotiations begin today with tim dpiet ner headed to capitol hill for separate meetings with congressional leaders. the president and speaker boehner made optimistic predictions yesterday.

>> my hope is to get this done before christmas. i'll go anywhere and do whatever it takes to get this done. it is too important for washington to screw this up. >> i'm optimistic that we can continue to work together to avert this crisis sooner rather than later. >> everybody's optimistic. just what will both sides give and what will it cost those politicians? eric erickson is a cnn contributor who is editor in chief of red state.com. nice to have you with us. congressman tom cole was on ac 360 last night. he's gotten criticism for saying he would accept revenue increases in exchange for a compromise. this is what he said about the bush era taxes. >> i want to make all of them permanent, quite frankly. this is a debate about political tactics. not a difference over political theology. in the end all republicans want to make sure we don't increase taxes. that's where we differ from the democrats. if there is a place we can get

80% of the bush tax cuts for # 8% of the american people made permanent we should do that and then continue to fight for the rest. >> speaker boehner said he disagreed with cole. is this a debate about political tactics? >> to a degree, i think it is. i don't think the republicans really know where their negotiating position is which is a reason you're hearing republicans say kick the can down the road six months and do a grand plan and why democrats say to do it now. the republicans haven't found their footing since the election. the big problem is spending. no one wants to talk about spending. the fiscal cliff is a bipartisan compromise that would do draconian cuts in the budget they never wanted in the first place. it's foolish to think congress will have a plan to fix things when congress designed the plan they are trying to fix. >> some democrats say

entitlements can be on the table but should deal with long-term reform afterwards. here's what senator dick durbin said yesterday on "starting point." >> entitlements need to be part of the long-term strategy but do it in a thoughtful way. i don't want to see major changes decided in the heat of the moment. let's get through the fiscal cliff, find a way to avert it. but at the end of the day treat it as the important program it is for so many millions of americans. >> eric, if we get a deal, how much kicking of the can down the road do you think that deal will inclu include? >> i think it will include significant kicking the can down the road which is why they should kick the entire deal down the road and deal with it together. we know it won't from happen history. we have had 18 of these since 1981. more than half of the time they

said they needed a deal with medicaid, medicare, social security. now we have the affordable care act as well. they never want to deal with it. meantime the debt is $16 trillion. >> thanks for joining us this morning. we appreciate it. 33 days until the fiscal cliff. we just keep talking about this. while politicians try to sell their plans of first big negotiations get under way with treasury secretary tim geithner headed to capitol hill for separate meetings with congressional leaders. we'll have much more on "starting point" as well. >> and best advice before we go, too. don't go away. ♪

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we wrap it up with best advice. >> today we are hearing from lawyer and new york politician ann-margret carosa. >> the best advice i have received is to learn a little bit about money. learn how to enjoy your money. learn how to save your money. learn how to use your money to help other people. learn how to protect your money from taxes and long-term care costs. and just become better educated about it. it really fulfills a lot of self-worth issues when we learn how to take care of ourselves, take care of our families and take care of society at large with money. >> i love this. especially the world is going crazy about, you know, lotteries and in america where the only way to get rich is to play the lottery it breaks my heart. that's how you get rich. >> she covered it all. good advice. >> ta